Who would have thought the guy who once growled,“I wanna slit your throatand fuck the wound!” could become something akin to a heavy music auteur with mainstream-conquering capabilities?Corey Taylor has done so though.Considering Slipknot's next record appears a way off yet, melodic hard rockers Stone Sour have become the vocalist's main avenue for channelling said creative energies.

The conclusion to this two-part concept record is an extension of this sensibility;there's even an accompanying comic book series.It's also a heavier and less theatrical response tolast year's part one.Opener, Red Citybuilds to a curious crescendo,before Taylorunleashes a growl spewing a ferocity not observed on their records lately. He soars during infectious Stalemate and'82,but his charismatic, engaging baritone isn't the only ace up their proverbial sleeves.Josh Randand Jim Rootexchange pounding riffs,aided by a taut rhythm section. Gravesend and Peckinpahpack metallic crunch, without neglecting key melodic ingredients.The title track andcrowd-rallyingDo Me A Favorare hits in-waiting too, which fans will greet like a margarita on a beach during a sweltering summer's day.While somewhat laboured(Sadist)or forgettable(The Uncanny Valley)on occasion,strings and keys are tastefully infused on The Conflagration andambientBlue Smoke.

Stone Sour's slicker-than-owl-shit hooks and sizeable commercial aspirations will continue to irk thosewishing Taylor and Root would instead re-don the masks and boiler suits, then proceed to channel their inner teenage misfit.Part 2 doesn't push any boundaries, but as far as radio-baiting heaviness is concerned, displays greater cohesion and punch than most.